Has there been an error in governance? Did the Board of Governors have the authority to overturn Senates decision?
Trent has a bicameral governance structure that gives Senate responsibility for academic policy and the Board of Governors responsibility for the management and control of the University and its property. These responsibilities are spelled out in the Trent Act. Senate did not have authority to make a decision about the physical assets of the colleges and passed a resolution that was beyond the scope of its authority. The President and the Board of Governors were not bound to respect Senate’s views in this instance. The Board of Governors clearly has responsibility for the decisions it took.
